Bryan Adams says Tina Turner stepped away from working with him after “It’s Only Love” — and the way she explained it has become one of the most quoted stories in his catalogue of memories about her

In recent interviews, Adams has recalled that after the huge success of their 1985 duet “It’s Only Love,” future attempts to collaborate never materialised.

He says that calls went unanswered, and that for years there was simply no follow-up.

There is no public copy of the letter he refers to, and Turner did not release one.
So the anecdote remains one of those artist-to-artist memories that lives through the retelling of the person who received it.

the part Adams says stayed with him

According to Adams’ version of events, the silence eventually ended with a brief note — about five short lines — in which Turner explained why she did not want to repeat the partnership.

Adams has summarised the message this way: the performance standard they hit together on that track was so strong that she felt she could not top it in another duet.

He has framed it not as dismissal — but as artistic self-protection.

why this particular story resonates

“It’s Only Love” arrived during a career peak for both artists:
Turner was in her Private Dancer era — one of the most celebrated comebacks in pop history — and Adams was building Reckless into a multi-platinum landmark.

The sound of the duet — Turner’s voltage-charged rasp against Adams’ rock tenor — was different to most duets of the decade. Their MTV stage appearances were so emphatic that the song won the 1986 VMA for Best Stage Performance.

So the idea that Turner might want that moment preserved as a one-time artistic high point fits the way many fans remember the song.

the arc closed — but not permanently

Adams has said the professional distance lasted roughly 15 years.

Then, in 1999, the story circled back — they reunited briefly to sing the track again at Turner’s 60th birthday celebration.

It acted as a confirmation of something that often gets lost in retellings of this anecdote:

whatever Turner may or may not have put into that short note, the respect — and the friendship — endured.